A Regular Pilates Client
"M" had been attending group mat Pilates classes for 2 years and studio sessions for 6 months. She always struggled with reformer legwork it was a big effort. It was obvious from her posture and movement that her core, from foot arches - inner shin - adductors - pelvic floor - psoas (Deep Front Line in Anatomy Trains terminology) was not functioning well. She had very high foot arches, overused her anterior leg muscles and could not point her feet without cramping.
During her 3 sessions the feet became more flexible and evenly weighted. Her slightly rotated thighs and narrow stance had opened out forming a more stable and uplifted base through her centre. The pelvic and ribcage tilts had corrected, her neck ‘grew’ dramatically with a rotation and tilt corrected and also her posterior tilt (swayback) came more into alignment. She felt more grounded and stable and aware of her back.
Most telling, though, on returning to Pilates she remarked that the spring was too light, though in fact it was heavier but even with a further increase she moved with ease without any of the strain she experienced before, now well connected through her core.
A Remedial Case
"S" suffered some sort of neurological malfunction as a child leaving the left side of her body underdeveloped resulting in a short femur, smaller hip, shorter arm. Although she has accommodated this asymmetrical structure extremely well with remarkably good posture considering, she was finding it inhibiting her physical activities of horse riding and dancing, unable to place much weight through her left leg.
Her standing posture was stiff, taking all the weight on her right side with the left side stretched long acting more as a brace with the foot stongly inverted, and pointed. Her gait mirrored this stance with a stiff swing through of the leg.
Each session was planned with a specific goal and movement in mind of gradually getting more flexibility and activity through her left leg and hip, always resulting in significant change at the end of the session, her usual comment being "I have never been able to do that before".
After three sessions she could now put weight through her left leg with the foot flat more connected to her core. The fourth session concentrated on increasing joint mobility from foot, knee and hip. The result at the end was a profound change in her gait. Both legs were now flexing fully completely different to the stiff legged swing she adopted previously. “I’m going to have to learn a whole new way of walking. It's as though the body knew what to do and is now saying thank you. I feel as though I am getting a new body to live in".
This was a unique case but demonstrates the potential of this treatment and more so the body's ability to change itself with the right stimulus.